The launch next week of the New Zealand Artificial Intelligence (AI) Forum is a strong sign Kiwi tech companies are keen to not just get onboard the burgeoning AI industry, they want to lead from the front, Forum chair Stu Christie says. Dozens of New Zealand’s leading tech companies are joining the forum which has been initiated by NZTech. The launch in Wellington on June 7 will be attended by politicians, government agencies, big tech companies and major national tech groups. Christie says the landmark tech manifesto presented to parliamentarian last week confirms just how intent NZTech, InternetNZ, IT Professionals…

Artificial Intelligence or AI is fast being used to make people more efficient and it will touch every element of New Zealanders’ lives from better healthcare and education to faster service and more personalised products, tech leader Stu Christie says. Like any emerging technology there is still a lot that Kiwis don't know about AI - both the opportunities and the risks, Christie says. Having a nationally coordinated forum to share learnings and have discussions is critical to ensuring New Zealand gets the best outcome. The first ever New Zealand AI Forum will be launched in Wellington June 7. Christie…

New Zealand’s leading tech organisations today released their manifesto of New Zealand’s Digital Future. The digital copy of the report has been sent to every member of parliament and to key government officials throughout multiple agencies as technology is far reaching – from health and education to regions, small to medium businesses and social and primary industries. The collaborative report by 20 major Kiwi tech organisations was led by NZTech, IT Professionals (ITP) and InternetNZ. Among a dozen manifesto goals is a call for New Zealand to establish a dedicated Ministry for the Future, focusing on positioning New Zealand and…

Just outside of Hamburg, a monumental experiment is finally coming to life. Named the European X-ray Free Electron Laser (XFEL), the 1.5-mile-long experiment has produced its first laser pulses, signaling that the project is nearly ready for its experimental debut. According to reports by the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), which operates the laser, the XFEL has produced its first pulses of 0.8nm laser light at a single pulse per second. With this demonstration, the researchers believe that in the coming months they’ll be able to ramp up the lasers pulse frequency to its final state of 27,000 pulses per second. "The…

Rocket Lab today announces a new customer contract with Spaceflight, the launch services and mission management provider. Spaceflight has purchased an Electron rocket to increase the frequency of its dedicated rideshare missions. Dedicated rideshare for smallsats is a launch where several payloads share the same vehicle to a specific destination. An an entirely carbon-composite vehicle, designed to carry payloads of 225kg to an elliptical orbit and up to 150kg to a nominal 500km sun synchronous low earth orbit, the Electron is ideal for dedicated rideshare missions. It is especially suited to those serving difficult-to-come-by launch destinations, such as mid-inclination orbits…

A collaboration by scientists who drilled nearly 900 metres into the South Island’s Alpine Fault has revealed surprisingly high temperatures and the potential for large geothermal resources in the area. The site was drilled by a team of more than 100 scientists from 12 countries, who were working to understand how earthquakes occur on geological faults. The team identified the Whataroa site as the best place in the world to understand what a fault looks, feels, and sounds like just before an earthquake occurs. The Alpine Fault is known to rupture in magnitude 8 earthquakes approximately every 300 years, plus…

Chemistry has allowed humans to create a myriad of new inventions and improve on innumerable existing ones. Through research, we've created synthetic materials that are stronger than the metals we've used for centuries. One synthetic fiber invented in the last several decades is being implemented into many protective gear and vehicles because of its sheer strength and durability. Militaries, law enforcement and civilian industries are using the synthetic fiber called Dyneema to protect lives and equipment. Dyneema is a high-strength synthetic fiber that is capable of protecting an individual or vehicle from threats like an improvised explosive device (IED) or…

Here we go! We are about to open a 10 day launch attempt window from May 22, 2017, for the first launch attempt of our Electron rocket. The launch, titled ‘It’s a Test’, will take place from our private orbital launch site, Launch Complex 1, on the Māhia Peninsula, New Zealand. This is a significant milestone for Rocket Lab and the space industry globally. We are about to enter the next phase of the Electron program, which will see the culmination of years of work from our dedicated team here at Rocket Lab. 'It's a Test' is all about gathering…

It was the era of black and white television, The Beatles, and the space race between the US and Russia to the moon. It was the 1960s and on the other side of the world, in his garage in little New Zealand, a man was making crystals to generate radio frequency. That man was Warren Robinson, founder of Rakon. Back then, Warren saw a large gap in the market for crystals and so he decided to make his own. The company became incorporated on 4 April 1967. Fast track fifty years where connected technology is in use more than ever,…

Huawei, the Chinese technology giant, has announced a new investment plan to extend its cloud computing infrastructure, research and development (R&D) partnership and local procurement in New Zealand. Huawei will work with local partners to build a New Zealand Cloud Data Centre, and will open an innovation lab this year, the company said without disclosing the value of the deal. The lab, located at Victoria University of Wellington, will concentrate on the deployment of big data and Internet of Things (IoT) themed future technology including 5G. Huawei will build another innovation lab in Christchurch to seek local R&D partnership there,…

Today, we announced that Rocket Lab has closed a $75m Series D financing round, led by Data Collective, with additional investors Promus Ventures and an undisclosed investor. We’ve partnered with this esteemed group of investors because of their experience in the space industry. We also had renewed participation in this round from our existing investors - Khosla Ventures, Bessemer Venture Partners and K1W1 - who have provided continued expertise and support as we work to make space accessible to everyone. The closure of the round brings the total funding Rocket Lab has received to date to $148 million, with the…

Auckland – The Internet of Things (IoT) will soon become critical to helping New Zealand raise its productivity and prosperity, NZTech chief executive Graeme Muller says. Much of the current hype around IoT has been derived from consumer IoT such as fitness trackers and intelligent fridges. The real value to be had from the Internet of Things is in enterprise and government applications. A collaborative national research project is underway to better understand the potential benefits (and risks) of IoT for the New Zealand economy. The project, being managed by NZTech, brings together major tech users, tech firms, the government,…